We’re proud to share that Adele Hill, Digital Allied Health Professional (AHP) and Doctoral Fellow based at Worthing Hospital, recently presented her research at the World Physiotherapy Congress in Tokyo, an international event bringing together experts and clinicians from all over the world.
Adele’s presentation was part of a session exploring digital innovation in healthcare. Adele spoke about her research project, “Current and future landscape of digital innovation in spinal services” which was conducted over three months at the spinal triage service at Southlands Hospital.
Adele’s research project focused on how we use digital tools in outpatient settings, looking at what works well, where the challenges are, and how we can improve things to better support clinical practice and the patient experience.
She also explored how physiotherapy services can better integrate into systems often designed with more traditional medical pathways in mind, and how customisation plays an important role in improving patient journeys.
The World Congress was a valuable opportunity for learning and connection, and gave Adele a unique opportunity to meet with other clinicians from around the world.
“It was really interesting to see the similarities in how we all work with technology and also to realise that some of the usual grumbles about digital systems aren’t just happening in the NHS, they’re happening everywhere!”
Adele also noted the cultural differences in how physiotherapy is delivered across the world. “It was a brilliant experience speaking to people from so many different countries about their clinical practice. It really opened my eyes to how much variation there is, and how much we can learn from each other.”
Once she has submitted her PHD, Adele’s next big focus is making sure physiotherapy has a seat at the table when digital systems are being designed, to ensure they work for both clinicians and patients.
Congratulations, Adele, and thank you for representing UHSussex on the world stage!